DIY: Make your Own Disinfecting Wipes + More!

With flu season upon us, I thought this would be a could post to re-blog. It was originally published August, 2012 for cincysavers.com and this blog.

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I don’t know about you but I can really go through those tubes of disinfecting wipes, which over time, can begin to add up! So when I went on my cleaning spree this past weekend, I hopped on Pinterest first to see if there were any alternative solutions or creative ideas for cleaning. I came across the idea of making your own disinfecting wipes. I’ll admit, I was skeptical at first, thinking the paper towels would tear, dry up or they just wouldn’t work. But, I couldn’t be happier with the outcome and love using them!

Here’s how to make your own disinfecting wipes. I also provided recipes so you can create your own glass cleaner or a more natural cleaner using vinegar. I used Pine Sol because I had it and enjoy the fresh smell.

Supplies Needed:

Pine Sol or Vinegar (Recipes are at the bottom of this post for various types of cleaners you can create)

Sturdy paper towels (I choose Bounty)

Water

Glad or Ziplock Container that is large enough to fit part of a paper towel roll in ( I found the Glad Designer Bowl at Target–Two for $2.99)

Serrated Knife

Something to cut a 1/2″ hole through plastic (I used a 1/2 inch drill bit- that worked well)

Measuring cups

Bowl

1. Cut your paper towel role length-wise so it will fit nicely in the plastic container you’ve selected. I used a large serrated knife and it cut through the paper towels just fine!

2. Next you will need to cut a hole in the top of the plastic lid so you can easily pull the paper towels or should I say, disinfecting wipes, out. I asked my husband for a 1/2″ drill bit and used that. But because the plastic you are cutting through is so thin, I think a knife or even sharp scissors will work just as well. Just be careful and use a cutting board.

3. Mix your desired solution.

Here are several recipes you can use:

Disinfectant Cleaning Recipe (this is the one I used):

1/4 – 1/2 cup of pine cleaning solution such as Pine Sol

2 1/2 – 2 3/4 cup of water

General Cleaning Surface Recipe:

1 1/2 cups white vinegar

1 1/2 cups water

Optional: A few drops of favorite scented essential oil to cut the vinegar smell

4. Once you have the solution mixed and your paper towel roll set in the plastic container, pour the solution over the paper towels. Put the lid back on the plastic container and allow them to sit overnight.

5. Once the towels have sat overnight, then the cardboard tube in the center of the paper towel roll should easily come out (See the bottom right photo above).

6. Carefully pull the end of the paper towels from the inside, where the cardboard roll had been. Thread the end of the towels through the hole in the lid, and replace the lid.

TA DA! You now have your own homemade household cleaning wipes. As I mentioned earlier, I was a tad skeptical of this project, but am happy I tried it because 2 1/2 years later, I still refill my plastic tub on a regular basis.

Here’s a short news segment I did about the wipes from FOX 45 in Dayton: http://fox45now.com/shared/news/features/morning/stories/wkef_vid_2895.shtml

Because the hole in the top of the lid always has a paper towel sticking out of the top, it helps prevent them from drying out. I thought the same thing, but have been using them for several weeks and have not had a problem as of yet!

Because you have a sheet that is always sticking out, do you end up pulling that out to get a wet towel underneath? In other words, do you end up using two sheets at a time – tossing the dry one to get to a wet one?

No, it is just the very tip that is dry. The wipes are pretty wet, you’d be surprised how much moisture they hold! I was weary of them drying out as well, but I promise, there is no need to store them in a zip lock bag or anything. They work great the way they are

I love the idea of leaving the paper towels in a roll. When my kids were little I made wipes but I tore each paper towel sheet. AWESOME sollution. I think I may cut a circle on the plastic lid and leave it hinged on one side.

Vinegar is already a disinfectant. Forget the bleach; use the vinegar recipe (or even straight vinegar) and add some essential oils. Lavender also disinfects, as does Rosemary or Lemon. Bleach does not keep it’s disinfectant properties long.

Did you get two or three cuts on the paper towels? I assume it would depend on the container you use, and since the roll is taken out, could this work in a diaper wipe container by laying the towels flat?

I cut the paper towel roll twice, but only used two pieces and had a very small section left over. Next time however, I think it would be best if I cut the roll in thirds. It just depends on what container you decide to use. I found the container I used (it came in a pack of two) at Target for $2.98.

As far as using a diaper container, I don’t know if that would work because the wipes stay pretty wet and expand. Plus I assume you’d have to take the paper towels off the roll, and that would take some time. Hope this helps Thanks for stopping by!

Baby wipe containers don’t work well for this. I tried it and i kept having to take the whole roll out just to tear out a piece of paper towel. They expand too much and you have to really smash them in the wipe container! I have a huge round container from clorox wipes, i’m going to see if i can get the paper towel in that!

Thanks for the info! I didn’t think it would work out well–putting the paper towels in a baby wipe container, but some people are so creative you just never know I bet that Clorox container will be perfect. Let us know!

Yes, for sure! Initially, the cost will run about the same because you’ll have to invest in the plastic container(s) and the Pine Sol or Vinegar. I am on my third round of wipes as of right now (my family had a stomach virus so I went crazy with disinfecting over the past week!) And to refill it costs just a tad of Pine Sol or Vinegar and 1/2 roll of paper towels, which breaks down to less to less than $.50 for me. Not to bad!

Maybe a solution of baby wash and water, possibly with a little baby oil mixed in, would make a good make-up remover.
I haven’t tried this, but I’ve used baby oil to remove eye make-up and baby wash on my face.

Does it have to be pine sol or can i use a different one ? I have mr clean right now an d i would like to finish that up before i buy something else and when it comes to cleaning im a bleach fanatic, do u have a recipie that uses bleach???

I think Mr. Clean would work fine. I also have other recipes listed within the blog post if you are interested in any of those. I just chose Pine Sol for the same reason, I had it and wanted to finish it up, plus I like the smell

If you decided to use bleach I would really dilute it. I am thinking just a couple of table spoons mixed with the water..otherwise it might be too strong (as in smell).

Let us know what you decide to do! I am on my third batch of these DIY disinfecting wipes and am never going back to the store bought ones! I love these things!!

Something to keep in mind, BUY QUALITY PAPER TOWELS!!! I decided to save a $1 and get a store brand that I thought might be ok… HUGE mistake!! They are usable but they’re too thin and weak to pull thru the hole in my container. I’m using them (open the top and gingerly pull a few out at a time) but that will NOT happen again!! Learn from my mistake!!

Love this idea. I am going to share it with the lunch staff at my niece’s school. Good way to save some money on cleaning supplies and they sound like they work very well!! Also, going to use them for home!

For the Halloween makeup, you can use homemade baby wipes. I used them when my kids were little bitty and went through diapers and LOVED them. My husband even commented that he liked them better than store bought. The only problem I had was when they didn’t need changed as often the wipes would end up souring before I could use all of them.

Love the post… and they have the Bounty Brand of paper towels on sale every other week at Lowe’s and Menard’s. 15 rolls for $10. Can’t buy them that cheap at Wal-Mart. I go through a ton of them with chronically ill hubby… tis all we use in bathroom and kitchen for hand drying… and now… disinfecting…

I always made my own baby wipes. Then I moved on to lysol wipes. I use a larger container, no hole in lid although I like that idea, and cut the roll of bounty in half. For baby wipes, 1 1/2 cups water, 1 Tbs baby shampoo and 1 Tbs baby oil. They were better than any store bought wipes and I saved a fortune with 4 children.

I have tried this and i found that a folgers coffee container works great for the wipes, i just slit and X on the top and pull wipes thru. Works great. I asked my neighbors to save me their un wanted plastic containers so i dont have to wait to buy them, plus im recycling so i save money that way. It works.

Just made a batch! I used a Folgers plastic coffee bucket (free), had Pine Sol and I bought VIVA towels 1.97 for 68! I cut my roll into 1/3’s – I have little strength in my hands, so I used my electric knife! PERFECT!! Can’t wait to use!

I found this post via Punterest and I was intrigued by the disinfecting wipes but I’m a little confused….Pine Sol is not a disinfectant, it’s a cleanser, meaning it only removes dirt and deodorizes. Do you know of any recipes for disinfectants to use with these homemade wipes? I would live to try them for the kitchen and think they could be really handy in the bathroom, but really need them to kill germs. Any ideas?

Pinesol is a cleaner and disinfectant. Here is a link to their website so you can read more about it: http://www.pinesol.com/products/original-pine/
I was under the same impression as you, where I thought it was only a cleanser at first

I was thinking that the big plastic coffee containers would work if you needed/wanted a larger towel. I use the large red plastic coffee container the Folgers comes in with an X in the top for plastic bag container but I think my Hubby would like it if I did this with one of them for him to keep in the garage. Thanks for the idea!

I tried this today and while I was doing so remembered that I’d done it before when I was going to make baby wipes a few years ago… and failed.

I found when cutting through the paper towels with two different kinds of large serrated knives, it took a LOT of elbow grease to cut through and it made the towels all shredded along the edges… a lot of wasted paper towel fluff.

It’s highly possible my knives are terribly dull, but do you have any other suggestions short of a circular saw? 😀 And I used Bounty, but not “Basic” They’re “Designer”… whatever my husband picked up.

I have continued making these wipes and since my husband isn’t always around with a circular saw, I use a sharp knife. The paper towels will fray a little on the ends where you cut it with the knife, but it shouldn’t take too much elbow grease. I used a serrated knife as well. Hope that helps Jess!

Use 2 tbsp baby wash, 2 tbsp baby lotion, and 2 cups hot water. Mix well with a wisk to break up the lotion. Pour over half of an extra large bounty roll half that is already in an old round wipe container. You will need to pull the cardboard insert out of the roll with needle nose pliers first and also pull up the center of the roll. Then pour in the liquid and let set until it’s absorbed by the towel. It helps to flip it over.

I’m beginning to cloth diaper and the company I bought mine from also sells flushable liners. They are probably spendy (100 for $5) but at least their flushable! They probably won’t soak up as much fluid though and they are a thinner material, so I don’t know how well they will work. If anyone decides to try, the site is below and please post to let everyone know how it works!

How is this any different than just using disposable diapers? Just stick with cloth and then covers. I’ve also used baby wash cloths instead of disposable wipes, kept in the same container and washed with the diapers.

DO FLUSH THESE DOWN THE TOILET! We just had a new sewer line put in and the owner said that everything and anything on the market that says flushable is NOT and will not break down. This includes a single baby wipe, feminine wipes and flushable liners. They can get caught on anything whether its a tree root or a loss of grade in your line and it could cause your entire system to need replacement.

If you take a glass jar and fill it with vinegar and orange peels and let it sit sealed for 2 weeks the solution will smell like citrus. Orange oil has natural cleaning/disinfecting properties as well as vinegar. I love this all purpose cleaning solution.

I’ve done this with baby wipes. I used to make my own and then stick them in used round wipe containers. For all of you that have concerns about the ‘wipes’ drying out, think of the wipes that originally came in the container, whether you’re making baby wipes, disinfectant wipes, personal wipes, etc. They didn’t dry up in their container, did they? Then neither will yours. And for making them in the round containers, pull the dry cardboard center out with needle nose pliers BEFORE you wet it. Squish the roll, pulling up the center corner first, into the container, then dump the liquids in and close. And use any brand of paper towel that is cloth like. Have fun!

I found this link thru Home Tips World on FB n this site is great!! Im in New Zealand so dont get Pine Sol etc that you get in the US but I reckon Dettol will work brilliantly! Im goin to give this a crack this weekend as I love using wipes in my bathroom (especially the loo coz I have a 12 yr old boy lol) so thank you very much for sharing! You’re goin to see me round here a lot now LOL

Hi Laurie!
Try using a super sharp knife. If that doesn’t work, you could also use a hand saw, just a small one should work fine. I now have my husband hooked and he made some. But instead of using a sharp kitchen knife, he used his little hand saw in the garage. Regardless, there will always be little shreds of towel where you cut them. I just pull those off. Hope this helps! Megan Fenno

A sharp craft knife should work ok Laurie, maybe squish it down a bit before cutting n use maybe a steel ruler etc if you want something to lean against or keep the blade straight? Im wondering if 3 ply loo paper (the quilted stuff) would work? Possibly not strong enough tho?

I do this also to make my baby wipes.
2cups warm water, 2TBS baby wash, 2TBS baby lotion. a couple drops of alcohol (optional, if you use lots don’t need at all, is to keep it from molding.)
Cut towels in half. The cardboard paper comes right out as soon as you have poured the liquid over the towels It smells good and you know what you are using on yourself/baby (makes an awesome makeup remover as well.) I add a tad of baby oil too, just because

I make my wipes using Bounty napkins. I bought a square plastic container at a garage sale for 25 cents. I use coconut oil, water and a tbls of baby wash to make baby wipes. The solution works well to remove make-up. I use vinegar and water with some tea tree oil for cleaning.

[…] do though to help keep germs down and chances of spreading germs is to disinfect the house often. Disinfecting wipes can be purchased at your local store, but they can also become costly if you are disinfecting […]

Good Afternoon @justlikemomchildcare ! Can you inform me on what is spelled incorrectly? I take pride in my work, write for multiple sites and try my best to edit everything I post. But as with any writing, sometimes errors will come up and I look over them. I'd love your feedback.
Thanks! Megan

For those with pets: Be careful using PineSol (or Lysol or anything with "sol" in the name)! It can be poisonous to pets if ingested. If your pet walks across the floor while wet, it gets on their paws and they lick them to dry them, BAM...ingested and exposed. Even once it's dry, they can drop their food on the floor, lick it up with their tongue rewetting the chemical and it gets ingested.
The culprit is the ingredient phenol, which in many cases may not even be listed on the label of such cleaners. This not only means the cleaners like the "traditional" pine-scented Pine-sol or Lysol cleaners, but even the pleasantly scented cleaners manufactured by the same companies, such as Pine-sol's choices of scents such as Lemon, Lavender, Sparkling Wave, and so forth. It should be noted that shelters and pet rescuers have eliminated the use of such cleaners due to their toxicity to animals.

FENNOfashion I'm not sure what they do recommend other than the "all natural cleaners," (sorry!!) but in my house I tend to use just soap and water to clean with and if it's really nasty, bleach or vinegar followed by soap and water to rinse completely.

I did this several years ago to use at a picnic with BBQ Ribs and chicken for senior citizens. I used 5 squirts of Dove Foaming dish detergent (it cuts the grease) and 2 cups of water. They worked great and the people loved them. Hopefully summer will be here again soon.

I really like using them. I also just added a news clip today where I explain the process. :)

About

Megan Fenno is an avid blogger, lover of fashion and accessories and is passionate about bringing creativity and inspiration to her followers through blogging, radio and TV. With a degree in fashion & accessory design from Savannah College of Art & Design, she founded FENNOfashion.com in 2007; an online boutique of vintage inspired accessories handmade in Cincinnati. Here you'll find some of her favorite things in life from fashion, savvy shopping tips, being a mom to living in her absolute favorite city, Cincinnati. Read more here.

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